AL
A decade ago, I would see about a half-dozen eels during a dive, but for the last two years, sightings have been rare—less than one per dive. I saw a similar reduction in population in other locations on Maui’s West shore since November 2016.
The conservation and restoration programs of Maui County and the State of Hawaii deserve credit. They have removed submerged debris, including rails and cement block left over from the old airport at Kahekili reef. Their work has helped upgrade the Maui economy.
In summary, while the decline in sea urchins and eels should be a con- cern, it is encouraging to see that the efforts of environmentalists and governments to resurrect the natural beauty and diversity of the reefs in Maui are working.
Healthy coral reef system. Image provided by Lily Solano, head naturalist at Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawai‘I, Wailuku, HI.
Conclusion
Not all the news is good. Recovery of the sea urchin and eel populations is lagging behind pre-2015 levels. In particular, the population of small sea urchins (~2-inch diameter) was down. They once had to compete for space in crevices, etc., but now they were isolated. I noticed a decline in the larger (~4-inch) purple urchins and the large (~8–10 inch) black spiny or turkey urchins as recently as April 2017.
References
1. Swarzenski, P.W.; Dulai, H. et al.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/S2214581815002062
2. Hu, Z.; de Kreuk, M. et. al. Nitrogen removal by a nitration-anammox bioreactor at low temperature. Appli. Env. Microbiol. 2013, 79(8), 2807–12.
Robert L. Stevenson, Ph.D., is Editor Emeritus, American Laboratory/ Labcompare; e-mail:
rlsteven@comcast.net.
Goes fast. Saves gas.
Advanced™ Anoxomat® III. Anaerobiosis in 3 minutes. Low gas consumption.
• Anaerobiosis in just 3 minutes. • Low gas consumption means substantial savings. • Requires 70% less consumables. • Boost productivity—process up to 4 jars at once.
• Most effi cient way to create anaerobic, microaerophilic and capnophilic environments.
• Accurate, repeatable results. Guaranteed. • Footprint no larger than desktop printer.
For more information | 1-800-225-4034 | 1-781-320-9000 Online |
aicompanies.com/anoxomat |
info@aicompanies.com
MP00001 Rev. 1-C PCN00059
AMERICAN LABORATORY
5
JUNE/JULY 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56